U.S. researchers estimate that only one third of women report rape by a stranger; that number declines to 13 percent when the rape is by an acquaintance.

Perverse though the logic may be, one can understand the low reporting rates in light of the fact that less than 6 percent of reported rapes result in conviction. Sorry – we can’t help but repeat that: less than 6 percent.

It’s this last point, in particular, that Women Against Rape hope to highlight tomorrow at The Rape of Justice: Who’s Guilty? The “public trial” in Camden Town will give several women the chance to testify about the ways in which the criminal justice system has failed them and other targets of rape, violence and abuse. The group’s concern is that although most people now believe in a woman’s right to say no (and it’s increasingly difficult to imagine that there was a time when this wasn’t the case), the criminal justice system has neglected its duty to protect this right and to prosecute violations of it.

Despite the organisation’s name, this clearly isn’t just about women, nor is it a strictly feminist issue. The unsettling fact remains that, whether you realise it or not, it’s likely that there’s at least one woman among your acquaintances – or closer – whose life has been affected by some form of violence or rape. If you find that thought profoundly disturbing – well, that’s the point.

Statistics are from Women Against Rape. The Rape of Justice: Who’s Guilty? will be held tomorrow, 16 February, from 2 to 5pm, at the Trinity United Reform Church in Camden Town. Please note that photography, recording and filming are not allowed without the organisers’ consent.